From the very beginning of Ryder’s life, we have left the house nearly every day, at least once.  This was my survival mechanism when we moved to a place where we didn’t know a single soul, welcomed our first baby (which automatically seems to imply that we must isolate ourselves from the world), and we were headed straight into our first “real winter.”  Most days, it’s served me well… we all seem to get cabin fever if we haven’t headed out by about 9:30 every morning.  And most days, Ryder is dressed from head to toe before 7am.

Today was different.

I had plans to run errands today… chiropractor, haircuts, Costco, etc.  And although it’s not the most exciting to-do list (especially for the boys), it’s stuff that still needs to be done.

Today those plans can wait.

Ryder started to get dressed like usual (digging in the clean laundry pile looking for “blue pants that buckle” – otherwise known as jeans).  He found a pair (whew!), but got distracted by some nearby toys.  A few minutes later, he climbed in my lap and sleepily declared that he’d like to stay in his pj’s for a while… and “Mama, I just wanna stay home all day.”

WHAT?!  

Before I knew it, the boys were playing nicely together (I know, right?!) and thus the tone of the day was set.  We declared today a Lazy Day.

We colored, watched movies, ate popcorn, played trains, completed puzzles, played board games… and the day’s not over yet.  To some, this may sound like a normal day with two young boys.  But for a mom who usually can’t get her kids excited about anything but riding bikes and sword fights, today was a lovely change of pace.

If you haven’t played Busy Town, you should!

At one point, I heard some bumping and grunting, and then a sweet little voice say, “Mama?… MAMA!  Stuck.”  When I turned around, Evan had emptied the ball bucket and gotten himself “stuck” (but not really) inside it.  Of course I did what any caring mother would do… Left Nikki to supervise him, and instructed him to stay right there while I got my camera.  Upon my return, he stopped wriggling long enough to say, “Cheeeeeeeese!”  😀

We haven’t experienced any tantrums (so far), and there has been very little whining.  I don’t know what’s gotten into these boys… I’m praying this isn’t the beginning of flu-mageddon or sick-pocolipse.

Incidentally, not only did Ryder stay in his pj’s all day, but he was without a shirt.  For most parents this is a typical sight.  However, Ryder is just as specific about his accessories as he is about the type of pants he wears… and he has NEVER run around for more than about five minutes missing an entire item of clothing.  He would probably wear every item in his closet at the same time if we let him.  So I’ve really enjoyed this laid-back version of my little fashionisto.

In any case, I’m grateful for today… a slower pace, a peaceful atmosphere, productivity (got some cleaning and crafting done), bonding, and enjoy some of the simple blessings God has given us.